Sectional flooring



17, 1964, J. w. SPISELMAN ETAL 3,157,254

SECTIONAL FLOORING Original Filed Jan. 30, 1958 2 sh t .s t 1 l l I I I l I I I I 98 M 1 i 32 i 40 54 36 H INVENTORS .WALTER E PAWLOWSKI JOSEPH W. SPISELMAN 4 8 ATTORNEY 17, 1954 J. w. SPISEILMAN ETAL 3,157,254

SECTIONAL FLOORING Original Filed Jan. so, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS WALTER E PAWLOWSKI JOSEPH W. SPISELMAN ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,157,254 sEcrioNAL FLQOG Joseph W. Spiselman, New York, N.Y., and Walter F. Pawlowsiii, Holhrooh, Mass, assignors to Floating Floors Inc, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Qriginal application Jan. 3%, 1958, Ser. No. 712,271, now Patent No. 3,025,934, dated Mar. 20, 1962. Divided and this application Apr. 20, 1960, Ser. No. 23,415

2 Qlairns. (Cl. 189-34) This is a division of our prior application Serial No. 712,271, filed by us on January 30, 1958, now Patent No. 3,025,934, patented March 20, 1962.

This invention relates to a new and improved elevated sectional flooring including spaced upright supporting standards or pedestals adapted to be mounted on a subfloor, said standards in turn supporting floor panels or plates, these floor panels being easily set in place and removed providing access to the space between the elevated flooring and the sub-floor, for the-purposes enumerated in US. Patent No. 2,850,332, April 15, 1958.

The present invention provides a novel construction including the provision of an intermediate fabricated frame for disposition on the standards, the floor panels or plates being in turn disposed on the frames, resulting in the improvement that a greater span between the upright supporting standards is thereby made possible, and at the same time the elevated flooring has a lighter weight per installed square foot and is more economical with adequate load-carrying capacity, ease of manufacture, handling and installation; the invention also includes the provision of a novel elevated flooring construction comprising an intermediate fabricated open frame of relatively great area, which rests upon the upright standards, and provides for the application thereto of a plurality of lighter weight floor panels or plates per frame, each floor panel being provided with a wafile type cast beam structure on the under side thereof for lightness in weight but suflicient load-carrying capacitly with minimum deflection, the panels or plates each being recessed at the under side thereof for accurate application to the intermediate frame at the open spaces thereof, minimizing over-all depth of the assembly, said panels or plates being in effect provided with recessed or in-set bottom flanges which locate the same in the openings in the intermediate frames.

Further objects of the invention include the provision of elevated sectional flooring as above described wherein the edges of the floor plates or panels are held to an accurate dimension and abut each other throughout the flooring so as to provide an accurately disposed and assembled floor having the advantages above described; and the provision of floor panels or plates as above described having raised lips at the edges thereof to contain tiles thereon and to protect the tile edges when the plates or panels are being handled, and in addition providing a decorative eflect somewhat equivalent to the spacers in terrazo marble tile floors, the plates or panels being capable of being tiled at the factory, or on the job, if desired.

Other objects and advantages of the invention include gaskets or felt or plastic under the rims of the floor plates or panels providing a quieter construction and also a substantially sealed-off chamber between the elevated flooring and the sub-floor which may be made use of as a plenum chamber; special means for providing electrical grounding of the entire construction; alternatively the panels or plates may merely rest in position or they may be secured as for instance by being bolted or screwed to the intermediate frame; and the provision of an intermediate frame construction such that the supporting uprights or standards may be slid along certain cross members of the frame or along two contiguous side members of adjacent frames, said standards also fitting a central intersection of interior frame cross member, as desired, when concentrated loads are expected, so that the uprights or standards may be placed substantially where desired.

The invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly set forth in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a completed floor, with parts broken away, illustrating the invention;

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 are enlarged sections on the corresponding section lines of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a partial bottom plan view of the flooring panels or plates;

FIG. 7 is a partial plan "iew on a smaller scale showing the intermediate frame, parts being in section to show the fabricated construction thereof;

FIG. 8 is a and FIG. 9 is a sectional view illustrating the selective relationship of the supporting standards to the panels to support the same directly.

In carrying out the present invention, it is to be understood that the entire elevated flooring is based upon a sub-flooring which may be of concrete or the like and is indicated by the reference numeral 10 in FIG. 2, and is not shown in FIG. 1. Upon the sub-flooring at selected intervals, there are disposed tubular uprights, standards, or pedestals 12 which may be conveniently formed as a section of pipe threaded at the lower ends thereof at 14 for engagement with supporting flanges 16. These flanges 16 may be bolted or screwed to the sub-floor 10 as for instance by bolts 18.

The upper end of each upright or standard is threaded as at 20 for engagement with a large nut 22, this nut being therefore easily vertically adjustable and supporting a tubular bracket or head generally indicated by the reference numeral 24. The brackets 24 may be made of any suitable material and are in the general form of a cylinder, each having an upper flat laterally extending flange 25 thereon upon which the intermediate frames to be described rest. A series of, in this case four, upstanding lugs 26 are provided for a purpose to be described. These lugs will be seen to be generally angular in plan, see particularly FIG. 5, having internally rounded corners at 28, and are arranged in mutually spaced relation leaving substantially equal flat supporting areas of the flange 25 between them.

It is to be understood that the brackets 24 being tubular, accommodate the upper end of the uprights or standards 12, see FIG. 2, and the lugs 26 are arranged generally outboard thereof and are preferably provided with supporting buttresses 30 or the like. This construction provides that light-weight material, such as aluminum, may be used to make the brackets 24 and the same may be most conveniently cast.

On the bracket 24 there is provided an intermediate supporting framework which is best shown-in FIGS. 1 and 7. This framework comprises a series of separate open frames each composed of four external channelirons 32 arranged on edge and joined at their corners, forming a square. Intermediate the ends of each channeliron, the lips of which face outwardly, there are provided a pair of crossed box frame members 34, one of which extends directly across the frame and the other of which is necessarily in two parts, welded at its ends to the cross perspective view illustrating the invention;

member 34 and to the respective side channel frame member 32. This is shown in FIG. 7. Each channel frame member 32 is one-half the thickness of the cross members 34, while, having the same height; and these dimensions are specifically arranged so that a pair of contiguous edge frame members 32 just occupy a space the distance between two lugs 26, see FIG. 5; and the cross frame members 34 have a width which just occupies the same space.

Since the lugs 26 are evenly spaced apart, see FIG. 5, it will become apparent that a standard 12 with bracket 24 thereon, may be placed at each corner of an entire frame 32, 34 and support at their corners, four adjacent corners of four separate intermediate frame members. On the other hand, a standard or upright may be placed centrally of the entire intermediate frame as indicated in FIG. 1 centrally thereof. In this case, the only members supported on this bracket are the cross members 34, and this bracket may be placed anywhere along the length of any member 34. Also, the uprights 12 may be placed not only at the corners of the frames 32, 34, but also at any point along two combined members 32 that are contiguous. In this way, the intermediate frames 32, 34 may be supported at any points desired along any of the frame members thereof, even though it has been demonstrated that it is ordinarily only necessary to support the intermediate frames in conjunction with contiguous intermediate frames at the corners thereof.

Having placed the uprights 12 where desired and with the intermediate frames 32, 34 resting thereon as above described, the finish floor panels or plates each of which is generally indicated at 36, are then placed upon the intermediate frames covering the same completely, there being four such panels or plates for each intermediate frame as illustrated in the present invention. Clearly, however, the intermediate frames need not be square nor limited to four openings, in order to carry out the invention.

Each plate or panel 36 may be conveniently cast of light-weight metal such as aluminum or any other convenient or desirable metal or material. Each of these panels or plates is recessed at its lower surface forming a relatively shallow supporting edge member indicated at 38 (see FIG. 9), and extending all around the same. This edge is defined by a continuous flange 40 depending from the lower surface of the respective plate or panel and inset from the edge. thereof which is indicated at 42 in FIGS. 3, 4 and 9. This flange forms a part of a cast wafffe construction well illustrated in FIGS- 3, 4 and 6 and this waifie construction is made specifically for hearing maximum weight with due regard to total weight of the floor.

The edges of the floor plates or panels 36 are preferably machine finished forsquareness and exact dimension, thus providing close tolerance on the installation so that each plate bears at its edges on the four surrounding plates and there is no looseness or motion possible between these plates. At the same time, they are clearly located accurately with regard to the four openings in each of the intermediate frames 32, 34, and it will be at once apparent that it is a simple matter to lay or raise these panels or plates as desired for providing installations of conduits or other devices under the floor between the elevated floor and the subfloor.

In order to provide a seal between the plates 36 and the chamber between the elevated floor and the sub-floor, and also to provide a quieter installation, felt or plastic gaskets 44 may be provided; and if necessary, metal springs 46 may extend through these gaskets from holes 48 down to the intermediate frame as illustrated in FIG. 3 in order to provide for a complete electrical contact for grounding of the entire floor. It is of source clear that the plates or panels could also be screwed or bolted into the frame members 32 and 34 if this were desirable in any particular installation.

The present invention provides a supporting frame structure the members of which have adequate cross sectional moduli to carry concentrated loads without excessive deflection and serves to take the load distribution from light-weight cast aluminum fioor plates which are mounted on the underlying or intermediate frame. The heads or brackets 24- serve to retain the intermediate frames 32, 34 in approximate alignment, but close tolerances in this respect have been found not to be necessary, and this feature decreases the cost of the manufacture of the flooring, close tolerances on installation being maintained by the machine finished edges of the plates themselves.

The panels 36 are also provided with raised edge lips 50 extending thereabout and providing for location and holding of tile of any kind 52 which can be installed at the factory so that flooring when laid as above described is completely finished and ready for use. These raised lips 50 abut each other closely and together form dividers and separating spacers of the kind normally found in terrazo flooring. However, the lips 50 are equally effective for holding cork, rubber, or any other kind of tile, as well as cast materials.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 9, the under side of the panels or plates are reenforced not only by the flange 40 but by criss-crossing webs 54 and 56, the latter being of a depth preferably equal to that of flange 40 and the webs 56 being of less depth. This Waffle effect gives a strong floor panel of minimum deflection for weight supported and a minimum of weight.

The projections or lugs 26 on the supporting brackets 24 are not only spaced to receive the open frame members 34, and 32 in pairs, but also are receivable in the divisions of the wafiie arrangement of webs 54 and 56. Thus the standards may be placed directly under any panel, with the brackets 24 elevated by nuts 22, to support the panels directly without interference from the webs.

Having thus described our invention and the advantages thereof, we do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set for in the claims, but what we claim is:

1. An elevated floor construction comprising a series of open supporting frames for said floor, said frames being in mutually abutting relation at their respective edges, panels mounted upon each of said frames, said panels each having upstanding peripheral edges and resilient means for forming an electrical contact with their supporting frames, said upstanding peripheral edges of said panels forming lips, flexible floor coverings mounted in each of said panels, the lips of said panels defining, containing and protecting said flexible floor material on said panels,the lips of adjacent panels lying adjacent each other at corre' sponding edges and forming in effect single lips of double width defining and outlining the floor material in the forms of the shapes of each of said panels.

2. Elevated sectional flooring comprising a series of open frames in mutually abutting relation at their edges and a series of separate, removable panels for disposition upon the frames, said panels covering the frames, said panels having mutually adjacent edges throughout the floor, non-conducting gasket means between said panels and said frames, interengaging means between each panel and a frame located thereunder for effecting an electrical connection between each panel and the adjacent panels through said frame, and means on the panels receiving and locating soft, flexible floor finishing material thereon, said means comprising a peripheral raised lip on each panel, said lips abutting at corresponding edges of the panels.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 875,775 Burhorn Jan. 7, 1908 2,108,226 Johnston Feb. 15, 1938 2,867,301 Benton Jan. 6, 1959 2,939,554 Bolton et a1 June 7, 1960 

1. AN ELEVATED FLOOR CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING A SERIES OF OPEN SUPPORTING FRAMES FOR SAID FLOOR, SAID FRAMES BEING IN MUTUALLY ABUTTING RELATION AT THEIR RESPECTIVE EDGES, PANELS MOUNTED UPON EACH OF SAID FRAMES, SAID PANELS EACH HAVING UPSTANDING PERIPHERAL EDGES AND RESILIENT MEANS FOR FORMING AN ELECTRICAL CONTACT WITH THEIR SUPPORTING FRAMES, SAID UPSTANDING PERIPHERAL EDGES OF SAID PANELS FORMING LIPS, FLEXIBLE FLOOR COVERINGS MOUNTED IN EACH OF SAID PANELS, THE LIPS OF SAID PANELS DEFINING, CONTAINING AND PROTECTING SAID FLEXIBLE FLOOR MATERIAL ON SAID PANELS, THE LIPS OF ADJACENT PANELS LYING ADJACENT EACH OTHER AT CORRESPONDING EDGES AND FORMING IN EFFECT SINGLE LIPS OF DOUBLE WIDTH DEFINING AND OUTLINING THE FLOOR MATERIAL IN THE FORMS OF THE SHAPES OF EACH OF SAID PANELS. 